Spring-hinge.



. PATBNTBD 00123, 19,06. 'H.w.s'rEBLE.

l NO- SPRING HINGE.

K5., 0 9 1 0l 3 0. E D D E L I F. I 0 I T A o I L P Y o., wAsyINuroN, n,c.

UNITED sTATEs lPATENT oEEioE.

HARRY STEELE, OF SHELBY, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE SHELBY SPRING, HINGE OO.,A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

'SPRING-HINGE.,

'REISSUED l Patented Oct. 23, 1906.

Application tiled December 30, 1905. Serial No. 293.986.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern: j

Be it known that I,. HARRY W. STEELE, a citizen of. `the United States,residing at Shelby, Ohio, have'invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Spring-Hinges, of which the followin is a specification.

My invention re ates to improvements in double-acting spring-hinges.

One of the objects of my -invention is` to provide a simple and compactform of spring which can be easily applied to a rabbet or recess in thelower corner of the door without detracting from the` appearance orfinish thereof. i

vAnother object is to p rovide a spring-hinge which. shall possess allthe advantages of a floor-hinge,v (or hinge located in al recess in thefloor,) while by its location all danger of moisture getting into themechanism of the hinge is avoided.

OtherI objects are to simplify the constructionrender it more durableand certain in operation, reduce friction and Wear, and make thepartsmore readily adjustable to vary the tension on the hinge. y y

With these and' other objects in view the invention includes the.features of construction and yarrangement and combination of artshereinafter described, and particuarly set forth inthe appended claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accom-v panying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a sectional. elevation of a portion ofl ak door and itsframe, disclosing the hinged construction embodying my invention asapplied thereto. Fig. 2 isahoriz'ontal section on line 2 2 of'Fig. 1.Fig.3 is a sectional detail' of certain features of the hingeconstruction, and Fig. 4 is a detail view inelevation of theadjusting-rin As disclosed in the drawings, the hinge comprises in itsconstruction two members, one of which is fixed and the other movablethereon. The movable member is'secured to the door andy includes thespring-actuat' ing mechanism, while the other or fixed member, whichincludes the pivotpost, is secured to the floor or door-sill, and it isthe movement of the movable member uponthe fixed member which causes theeccentric portions of the head of the post to move the bolt. andincreasethe tension on the spring. Referrin by reference characterstothe drawings,t e numeral 1 designates the door,

and 2 the floor, to which is secured a floor- 55 l plate by Which thepivot-post 3 is rigidly carried. The

j ections 4a and an intermediate rounded por.- tion 4b.

(post 3' carries at its upper end ay cross-hea 4, having rounded ears orprov The Operative parts ofthe spring-hinge are llocatedin a rabbet orrecess 1iL in the'lower end 5b of the plate 5 in a suitable manner, as7o l by screw 6b, while its other angular end 6 is detachably connectedto the horizontal portion ofthe plate 5, preferably by having aprojection 6d seated in a recess 6e in the plate. The sprin andcoperating parts are 7 5 located between t ese two members 5 and 6 lvbeing pivoted to allow this.

Which thus constitute a frame therefor, or What I have hereinbeforetermed a movable member. v l

Near the outer or swinging` end o fy the 8o frame is located apivotedplate 7, which may conveniently be supported by havin integral.projections or trunnions 7a seate in recesses 7b in the members 5 and 6,and in an opening '7c in this plate is guided one end of a 85 rodor bolt8, so as to be freely movable therein in a longitudinal direction, thebolt having a. certain amount` of lateral swinging movement as the doorswings and the plate 7 At the oppo- 9o sitel end the boltl is providedwithahead 9, which is slidingly supported upon the plate 3at andWhichvhas in its face a centralcurved recess 9b, correspondingto therounded por, tion 4b ofthe headk of the post, and side re- 95 cesses 9a,corresponding to the roundedprojections 4a of the post-head. Anadjustingring 10 is rotatably mounted on the rod or bolt 8 and has aplurality of inclines 10a, each of which is flattened at intervals,asinroo dicated at 10b. The rod or bolt -8 is provided with lateralprojections corresponding to these inclines. Square recesses 10c are cutin the oppositeface of the adjusting-ring, and it will be readily seenthat by inserting a suit- 105 able instrument having a square endinthese notches the ring may be turned so as to cause t the inclines toact .upon the projections of the bolt or rod, thus forcing the collaroutwardly to the pivot, will cause the bolt 8 to be moved outwardly,carrying with it the collar 10 and compressing the spring, thusresisting the tendency of the door to open. The compression on thespring will be increased the further the door is opened until the doorhas reached a position at right angles to its closed position. A slightfurther opening movement of the door carries it past the dead-center, sothat the spring tends to open it wider, and in order that it may not beopened too wide, but may be held automatically in its open position, Iprovide shoulders 4c on the head of the post against which the cornerson the head of the bolt project, thus limiting the swinging movement ofthe door. By the use of these rounded projections and correspondingrecesses on the post and bolt heads arranged in the manner shown thelateral swinging of the bolt 8 is practically eliminated, and I amtherefore enabled to dispense with the use of any link or pitmanconnection, thereby greatly simplifying the construction, reducing thecost, and making the device more durable. Further, the coacting roundedfaces of the bolt and post heads afford bearing-surfaces of sufficientextent to reduce the wear to a minimum, and being packed in grease thefriction is almost entirely eliminated.

l find it desirable also to support the door upon a ball-bearing, theballs 12 being located in a raceway formedv in an enlargement at thefoot of the pivot-post 4 and in the part 5 of the movable hinge-framebetween the plate 13, rigidly secured to the floor and the plate 3a.

In order to provide a neat finish, the sides vof the rabbet are coveredby ornamental plates 13a, preferably of the shape shown, which may beconveniently secured in place by set-screws 14, engaging a cross member15, carried by the upper bar.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A spring-hingecomprising a movable part, a rigid post about which the movable partpivots, a bolt slidably carried by the movable part, said bolt and saidpost each having a head, one of said heads having a rounded projectionon each side of the center and the other head having correspondingrecesses and a spring encircling the bolt between relatively fixed andmovable abutments, substantially as described.

2. A spring-hinge comprising a movable part, a rigid post about whichthe movable part pivots, having rounded projections on opposite sidesthereof and shoulders in proximity to said rounded projections, a boltcarried by the movable part and longitudinally movable thereof, saidbolt having a head having concave recesses on opposite sides of itsYcenter corresponding to the projections on.

the post-head, and a spring encircling the bolt between relativelyAfixed andy movable projections, substantially described.

3. A spring-hinge comprising a suitable spring-containing frame forattachment to a door, a rigid post about which said frame )ivots, saidpost having a T-shapcd head, a bolt mounted. in said frame to havelongitudinal reciprocatingmovement and also transverse swingingmovement, said bolt having a head corresponding to the head on the post,and a springencircling the bolt and which is cempressed by longitudinalmovementI thereof, substantially as described.

4. A spring-hinge, comprising parallel bars with means for securing themto the door, a plate supported between the said bars near the outer end,a bolt having its outer end slidably mounted in an opening in saidplate, a rigid post about which the door pivots having a T-shaped head,a corresponding head on the bolt coacting therewith, an adjusting-collar on the bolt, and a helical spring encircling the boltbetween the collar and plate, substantially as described.

5. A spring-hinge comprising parallel bars, with means for securing themto a door, a plate constructed to be pivotally seated in the holes insaid bars near their outer ends, a post about which the door pivotshaving a T-shaped head, a bolt having its outer end slidably mounted insaid pivoted plate, a spring encircling said bolt, and means on the boltfor adjusting the tension of the spring, substantially as described.

6. A spring-hinge comprising a movable member constructed l orattachment to a door, a rigid post about which said movable memberswings having a substantially T- shaped head, a slidable bolt carried bythe movable member having a corresponding head coacting with the head onthe post, a spring encircling said bolt, between relatively fixed andmovablev abutments, and means interposed between the spring and one ofsaid abutments for varying the tension of the spring, said meanscomprising a rotatable collar on the bolt having a plurality of inclinesor cams constructed to coaet with proj ections on the bolt,substantially as described.

7. In a spring-hinge, a frame for carrying the parts comprising anL-shaped bar witn means for securing its ends to the edges of the lofdoor, and a second L-shaped bar reversely arranged with relation to therst bar and having its ends detachably'c'onnected to the y first-namedbar, substantially as described.

8. In a spring-hinge, the frame adapted to be secured to the lowercorner of the door, and comprising upper and lower members, a postextending thrcughthe lower member and having a substantially T-shapedhead, a base-plate by which saiud post is carried, anantiriction-bearing between the base-plate and` lower frame member, abolt longitudinallyv movable in the frame and having a head constructedto -engage the head of the post, a spring within the frame, and meanswhereby in connection with said bolt the springI is placed under tensionon the swinging of the frame, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY W. STEELE. Witnesses:

.L. D. MALONE,

FANNY FLETCHER.

